Nut-lock.



ALEXANDER M. MOYLAN, OF CENTURY, FLORIDA.

NUT-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1906.

i l Application filed November 7,1905. Serial No, 286,251.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. Mor- LAN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Century, in the county of Escambia and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention embodies a simple and effective nut-lockingdevice of that type which utilizes a lock-plate adapted to coact with a plurality of nuts to prevent accidental displacement or loosening thereof.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the-details of construction of the means for efiecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in whic Figure 1 1s a perspective view showing a nut-lock embodying the invention applied to an ordinary rail-joint. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a erspective view of the lock-plate alone. i 4 is a view embodying a modification f the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred.

to in the followin description and indicated in all the views oi the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to-the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the meeting ends of two rails, which are secured together by a joint comprising ment. sha '55 ordinary fish-p ates 2, held in lace by bolts 3. The bolts 3 pass through t e rails in the fish-plates in the customary way, and the invention is so applied to the joint that each lock-plate comprising the same .will readil cooperate with a pair of nuts to accom lisii the desired result. The lock-plate a ove mentioned is of peculiar formation and consists of a spring-plate 4 of a length about equal to the distance between adjacent-nuts 5 onthe bolts 3. The spring-plate 4 is provided adjacent. one end with an opening 6,

. through which a bolt 3 may pass preparatory to screwing its nut in lace thereon. The nut 5, applied to the be t 3, passing throu h the opening 6, will effectively attach t e lock-plate 4 to the fish-plate, and said plate 4 is provided with a spring-tongue. 7, adjacent the opening 6 and arranged to engagea.

side of a nut to lock the same from moveslot 8 in t eplate 4, a'slit or cut 9 exten g from the slot 8 at anangle thereto to separate aportionpf the plate '4 from its The ton us 7 is formed by an arc-' and a a ted to abut with a side of t e nut to accomp ish the locking action.

The end of the plate 4 opposite that adjacent which the-opening 6 is provided is bent inwardly at approximately a'right angle to which is designated 10. This extension is adapted to abut at its inner edge with the outer side of the fish-plate 2, while its outer side is adapted to. abut with a side of one of the nuts 5.

The advantages of the special construction of the plate 4 will be apparent ondescription oh the actual operative position assumed thereby when in use. vention the two bolts, the nuts of which are tobe locked by the plate 4, are first placed in proper positions. The plate 4 is now arranged so that one of the bolts 3 pass through the openin s 6 therein. The nut 5 for t e bolt locate adjacent the extension 10.0f the plate, having previously been secured upon said bolt, will be prevented from unscrewing movement b engagement of said extension with a side t ereof.' The nut ofthe bolt 3, which passes through the opening 6, may now be screwed in place until it is hard against the outer side of the plate 4. The normal position of the tongue 7 of the plate 4, previous to placing the plate in position, is

surface of said plate, the direction of inclination being such that the nut adjacent may readily be screwed in place, but will be held from unscrewing movement by the straight edge of said tongue. In other words, as the nut 5 of the bolt 3, passing through the opening 6, is screwed against the plate 4 the tongue 7 will be s'prung inward to the plane of the plate, Said ton ue will spring out, however, when its straig t edge is in ine with a side of the adjacent nut. The plate 4, as before mentioned, has a spring-plate, and is therefore possessed of a certain amount of resiliency. This is particularly advantathe body. of the plate to form. an extension,

In applying the inslightly inclined from the plane of the outer geous when it is noted that the extension 10 caused to curve in toward the said fish-plate 2. This action causes the plate 4 to be held with positive spring-pressure at the end havingfithe extension 10, and does away with all likelihood of vibration or rattle being caused by movement of the plate 4 toward and from the plate 2 as the rolling-stock passes over the rails. Furthermore, spring tension of the plate 4, caused by the nut bearing against its outer side, is such as to force the extension 10 hard against the side of the adjacent nut 5, so that said extension will positively enga e therewith and likelihood of looseness of t e nut or of rattle or vibration of the extension 10 is also done away with. The arrangement of the extension 10, which projects from the inner side of the plate 4, as contradistinguished from the ton ue 7, which projects from the outer side of t "e plate 4, is of importance for reasons which have. been above enlarged upon. In

the event the extension is not sufiiciently near the adjacent nut 5, even when the parts have been arran ed in their properrelative positions, it will be noted that a blow on the outer side of the plate near the extension 10 will so bend the plate as to force'the extension 10 hard against the nut to accomplish the desired locking action. The slot 8, which has been before described, gives'sufiicient clearance to admit of insertion of an implement of suitable nature between the tongue 7 and the fish-plate, so that said tongue maybebent out from the fish-plate to assume a position about at a right angle thereto oa'nd have its whole straight edge'in engagement with the sideof the adjacent nut to secure the best locking action. The said plate 4 may be readily stamped from a single piece of sheet metal and formed into the desired shape, as heretofore fully described.

the

bolts The modification in Fig. 4 is substantially I the same as the construction shown in the first'three figures, except that the opening in the lock-plate, which is indicated 6, iselongated sufliciently to extend to an end of the lock-plate 4 provided near one end with an opening throu h which one of the aforesaid asses, a ocking-tongue projecting out: ward y from the lock-plate to engage aside of one of the nuts, the end portion of the plate opposite that adj acent-to which theopening aforesaid is located being bent inwardly to form an extension arranged -to abut with a side of the other of the 'nuts, said extension also spacing this end'of the lock-plate'from the member 2.

2. A nut-lock consisting of a plate comprising" a spring-body provided near one end with an opening, said body bein formed with a curved s 0t adjacent to sai opening and having a slit leading to said slot-to pro} vide a tongue projecting outwardlyfrom the body of the plate, site that having the opening before mentioned being bent inwardly to form an extension for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: I

R. A. GAMBLE, E. L. M/CGEE.

the end of the plate oppo- 1 ALEXANDER 1a norms. [n a] 

